After the lapse of over four years, the Road Transport Act (RTA)-2018 is getting fully ready to bring discipline in streets with provisions of penalties, including cancellation of driving licences.
Sources said finance ministry finally gave its nod of approval to the RTA rule on Wednesday.
They said law ministry is likely to issue a statutory regulatory order (SRO) on the rule soon after receiving it from road transport and bridges ministry.
"We won't take time to send the rule to law ministry for approval," said road transport and highways division secretary AMB Amin Ullah Nuri.
As finance ministry has given its seal of approval, he said, it is the first priority to execute the rule as soon as possible to bring discipline in streets.
Some changes were made in financial issues like fees for fitness and registration of various types of vehicles, for which law ministry may go for vetting again before issuing the SRO, according to sources.
Parliament enacted the RTA on 18 September 2018 following a month-long countrywide student demonstration after two students were run over by a speeding bus near Radisson Hotel on July 30.
The RTA took an inordinate delay on various grounds before the agitation. But the government took only a few days to enact it after the student movement.
Official sources said the rule is necessary to fully execute the RTA, which has been working based on the Motor Vehicles Rules-1984 in case of ambiguity or lack of elaboration on some provisions since it took effect on 01 November 2019.
The secretary and officials refused to disclose any information on the rule, but sources said a chart of offences of drivers has been added to it.
They said minimum one to five points will be cut digitally from the driving licence for violating traffic rules.
Highest 25 points may lead to cancel a driving licence.
The RTA has a provision of fines against illegal parking and jaywalking from Tk 5,000 to Tk 10,000 along with a month's jail sentence.
It is, however, under amendment now due to protest mainly from drivers and owners of public transport.
Some 29 amendments have already been proposed by a committee formed in this connection.
Despite these issues, an official said, the road transport division wants to make the rule effective in the soonest possible time for pressure from various quarters, including civil-society members.
smunima@yahoo.com